The 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease not only updates aortic valve stenosis, mitral regurgitation, prosthetic valves, infective endocarditis and antithrombotic treatment on the basis of the 2017 guidelines update for valvular heart disease, but also involves aortic valve regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve, mitral stenosis, tricuspid regurgitation, combined valve disease, pregnancy with valvular disease, valve disease complicated with coronary heart disease, valve disease complicated with non-cardiac surgery and the prospect of comprehensive management of valve disease. It covers a wide range of contents, which are introduced in detail and comprehensively. This paper interprets some highlights and core issues, including the top 10 take-home messages, the severity of valvular heart disease, and the updates in the management of aortic valve stenosis, aortic valve regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve, mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation.
Surgical Therapy for Valve Diseases Combined with Coronary Heart Diseases in Patients Over or Below 70 Years Old YU Lei, GU Tianxiang, SHI Enyi, XIU Zongyi, FANG Qin, ZHANG Yuhai. (Department of Cardiac Surgery, The No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, P.R. China)Corresponding author: GU Tianxiang, Email: cmugtx@sina.comAbstract: Objective To summarize the experiences of valve replacement combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in senile patients by comparing clinical outcomes of valve diseases combined with coronary heart diseases in patients over or below 70 years old. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 49 patients who received valve replacement combined with CABG in our department from May 1999 to December 2007. Based on the age, the patients were divided into ≥70 years group (17 cases) with its patients at or above 70 years old and lt;70 years group (32 cases) with its patients younger than 70. The percentage of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) before surgery in ≥70 years group was higher than that in lt;70 years group(Plt;0.05). No significant difference was found in the other relevant factors between the two groups. The clinical index of patients in the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results There were significant differences between the two groups in such factors as the percentage of biovalve use (82.4% vs. 12.5%, χ2=23.311, P=0.000), the time of mechanic ventilation (34.5±29.3 h vs. 18.0±16.1 h, t=-2.542,P=0.014), the time of ICU stay (4.4±1.5 d vs. 3.3±0.7 d, t=-3.522, P=0.001), the time of hospital stay (21.4±7.7 d vs. 18.1±1.8 d, t=-2.319, P=0.025), the percentage of IABP use (29.4% vs. 6.3%, χ2=4.862, P=0.037), the percentage of pulmonary function failure (35.3% vs. 6.3%, χ2=6.859, P=0.009), the percentage of acute renal failure (23.5% vs. 3.1%, χ2=5.051, P=0.025), and the percentage of cerebrovascular accident (11.8% vs. 0.0%, χ2=3.933, P=0.048). There was no significant difference between the two groups in factors like the anastomosis of distal graft (2.5±3.1 vs. 2.4±14, t=0.301, P=0.758), the time of aortic occlusion (89.3±25.4 min vs. 88.5±31.0 min, t=0.108,P=0.913), the time of cardiopulmonary bypass (144.6±44.8 min vs. 138.3±52.9 min, t=0.164, P=0.871) and the mortality (5.9% vs. 6.3%, χ2=0.002,P=0.959). The perioperative myocardial infarction rate was zero in both groups. ≥70 years group patients were followed up for 2 months to 9 years with only 1 case missing. One patient who had undergone mechanic valve replacement died of cerebral hemorrhage 1.5 years after operation. Two died of heart failure and lung cancer 3 months and 6 years after operation respectively. For all the others, the cardiac function was at class Ⅰ to Ⅱ and their life quality was significantly improved. The follow up time of lt;70 years group was 1 month to 6 years and 5 cases were missing. Four patients who had undergone mechanic valve replacement died of complications in relation to anticoagulation treatment. One died of severe low cardiac output. Another died of traffic accident. Conclusion Surgery operation and effective perioperative treatment are key elements in improving surgery successful rate and decreasing mortality in patients with valve and coronary artery diseases. Valve replacement combined with CABG is safe for patients older than 70 years old.
Objective To explore clinical application and significance of coronary angiography (CAG) prior to heart valve replacement for patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease (RVHD). Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 313 RVHD patients who underwent heart valve replacement in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2002 to June 2012. All the patients received screening CAG before surgery. According to CAG results,313 patients were divided into two groups. In the coronary artery lesion (CAL) group,there were 29 patients including 17 male and 12 female patients with their age of 60.0±5.2 years. In the non-coronary artery lesion (non-CAL)group,there were 284 patients including 98 male and 186 female patients with their age of 57.0±5.4 years. Surgicaloutcomes were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to analyze risk factors of CAL for RVHD patients. Results CAG showed 29 patients with CAL,and the overall prevalence of CAL was 9.27%. In CAL group,11 patients underwent concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting with 2.2 grafts for each patient on the average. Postoperatively 1 patient (3.45%) died of low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS). In non-CAL group,5 patients (1.76%) postoperatively died mainly because of LCOS,ventricular fibrillation,sudden cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. Cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time of CAL group were significantly longer than those of non-CAL group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in postoperative mortality,incidence of LCOS,acute renal failure,respiratory failure,reexploration for bleeding,intraoperative blood loss,mechanical ventilation time or hospital stay between the two groups(P>0.05). There was no significant correlation between the types of valvular lesions and CAL. Age≥ 55 years (OR=5.534,P=0.005),male gender (OR=2.335,P=0.038) and diabetes mellitus (OR=4.265,P=0.006) were independent risk factors of CAL for RVHD patients undergoing heart valve replacement. Conclusion For RVHD patients with independent risk factors of CAL (age≥55 years,male gender and diabetes mellitus),CAG must beseriously considered before heart valve replacement. RVHD patients with CAL can obtain similarly satisfactory surgicaloutcomes of heart valve replacement as RVHD patients without CAL by appropriate surgical strategy and strengthened perio-perative management.